Daily Trust Sunday

1.4m Nigerians to benefit from FG’s livestock support programme

- From Magaji lsa Hunkuyi, Jalingo By Treasure Oluchi Chinelobi

The Livestock Productivi­ty and Resilience Support (L-PRES) initiative by the federal government is set to benefit 1.4 million people across the country, revealed Hananiel Albert, Taraba State coordinato­r of the programme.

Speaking at the inaugurati­on of the state Steering Committee and the State Technical Committee for the programme in Jalingo on Wednesday, Albert emphasized that 30 per cent of the beneficiar­ies will be women, underscori­ng the positive impact the programme will have on their living standards.

He further announced that 40,000 people in the state, with a focus on livestock value chains including cattle,

The Federal Government has secured a N65b loan from the African Developmen­t Bank to bolster agricultur­al productivi­ty for sheep, goat, and poultry, are expected to benefit from the initiative. Albert highlighte­d that the deliberate choice of these classes of livestock in the state was due to the comparativ­e and competitiv­e advantage that Taraba State has over other states in the North East geographic­al zone of the country.

The beneficiar­ies will encompass a broad spectrum of livestock producers, animal feed suppliers, equipment dealers, marketers, transporte­rs, animal product processors, input suppliers, off-takers, among others, according to Albert. He emphasized that the L-PRES initiative will provide extension and animal health services, as well as support for livestock infrastruc­ture developmen­t for livestock farmers and sector operators.

Key aspects of the project include staple food crops during both dry and wet seasons.

The acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Agricultur­e, Mrs Oluwatoyin Alade, who made this known during a meeting with stakeholde­rs, said the meeting was to evaluate the progress the constructi­on and rehabilita­tion of livestock markets, abattoirs, slaughter slabs, provision of manual and motorised boreholes, installati­on of weigh bridges and loading ramps in livestock markets, and the establishm­ent of an Artificial Inseminati­on (AI) Centre.

In support of the initiative, the Commission­er of Agricultur­e and Food Security, Professor Nicholas Namessan, expressed confidence that the championed L-PRES project by the World Bank will enhance the livelihood­s of secondary and pastoral communitie­s, as well as other livestock farmers in the state.

Governor Agbu Kefas, represente­d by his deputy Alhaji Aminu Alkali, pledged unwavering support for the committees, ensuring their effective functionin­g in realising the goals of the L-PRES project.

FG secures N65bn loan for dry season crop production, meets stakeholde­rs

of the 2023/2024 dry season wheat production in 15 states and to strategica­lly plan for the upcoming second phase focusing on rice, maize and cassava.

Under the Policy Base Operations (PBO) initiative, funded by the African Emergency Food Production Facility (AEFPF), the exercise is poised to roll out across all states and the FCT over the next two years.

Mrs Alade said the National Agricultur­al Growth Scheme (NAGS) has a strategic goal of enhancing food production and stabilisin­g agricultur­al commodity prices while providing crucial farm inputs to small-scale farmers and extending institutio­nal support for long-term sustainabi­lity.

As the ministry took stock of the achievemen­ts and hurdles encountere­d during the 2023/2024 Dry Season Wheat Production, it made a firm commitment to rectify any shortcomin­gs and ensure the programme’s integrity.

Emphasis was laid on the imperative adherence to guidelines and principles in supply chain activities and the use of reliable technology systems to promote transparen­cy and accountabi­lity.

During the stakeholde­rs’ review and preparator­y event for the NAGS-AP, particular attention was given to the previous dry season programme, applauding the distributi­on of certified wheat seeds and agricultur­al inputs to farmers.

The official flag-off ceremony in Jigawa State marked the commenceme­nt of the 2023/2024 dry season farming.

 ?? ?? A dry season rice farm
A dry season rice farm
 ?? ?? Hydroponic­s
Hydroponic­s

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